Building energy control systems and methods

ABSTRACT

The inventive subject matter provides a system and a method for automatically controlling appliances via a mechanical or digital controller. In one aspect of the invention, the system includes a first circuitry communicatively coupled with one or more sensors and configured to generate a pulse-width modulation signal based in part on a reading from the sensor. The system also includes a dimming module configured to control a lighting device or other external device as a function of the signal. The dimming module can include a micro controller unit that receives the signal as well as a synchronized signal from a circuit that receives sampling information from a driving circuit, and generates a second pulse-width modulation signal that is sent to the driving circuit to control the external device.

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/164,717 filed on May 25, 2016. This and allother referenced extrinsic materials are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in areference that is incorporated by reference is inconsistent or contraryto the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of thatterm provided herein is deemed to be controlling.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is smart appliances technology.

BACKGROUND

The following description includes information that may be useful inunderstanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any ofthe information provided herein is prior art or relevant to thepresently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically orimplicitly referenced is prior art.

All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extentas if each individual publication or patent application werespecifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference isinconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein,the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definitionof that term in the reference does not apply.

Traditional lighting control systems refer to the time-clock and thelighting switch, both of which have only two states: on and off. Theyare very simple and easy to install by electricians prior to installinglighting fixtures (or lighting devices) with which they are connected byhot wire and neutral wire.

In the past 10 years, we have seen the importance of green buildingmaking way for green building as today's standard. One of the majorrequirements of the green building standard is energy usage for lightingdevices. Initially, the standard only applies to the energy rating ofthe lighting fixtures, but gradually, the standard began to outlinedetailed lighting control requirements. For example, the standardimposes that lighting devices in the daylight zone must be automaticallydimmed by available ambient lights, lighting devices in small officesand conference rooms must be controlled by occupancy sensors; andlighting devices in the corridor and parking garage must be dimmed byoccupancy sensors. Due to these requirements, sophisticated lightingcontrol systems were developed.

The key component for these lighting control systems is the dimmingportion. It is the device for modulating the electrical current to thelighting fixtures or the duty cycle, in order to control the luminanceof the lighting fixtures. A majority of manual dimmers, such as theTriode for Alternating Current (TRIAC), use resistor-capacitor circuitsto adjust the duty cycle. U.S. Patent Publication 2004/0212321 to Lys etal. titled “Methods and Apparatus for Providing Power to LightingDevices,” filed May 9, 2003 discloses a dimming circuit using TRIAC.

Unfortunately, existing TRIAC types of dimmers only allow for manualdimming. For automatic dimming, some prior systems utilized anelectronic controller that requires device-specific drivers fordifferent lighting fixtures. The driver can get modulated power from acentral electronic controller to adjust a luminance of the lightingfixtures. The central controller is powered from the electrical panel,and can collect signals from all the connected sensors (e.g., luminancesensors, occupancy sensors, etc.). Based on the settings, the centralcontroller modulates the power electronically and sends the modulatedpower to the drivers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,176 issued to Sugden titled“Computer Controlled Stage Lighting System,” filed Jan. 12, 1994discloses an example of such an electronic dimming control system.

Other efforts that contributed to this field include:

-   -   U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,869 to Lo et al. titled “Light Sensitive        Dimmer Switch Circuit,” filed Sep. 17, 1996;    -   U.S. Pat. No. 7,336,041 to Ayala et al. titled “Automatic Light        Dimmer for Electronic and Magnetic Ballasts (Fluorescent or        HID),” filed Oct. 27, 2005;    -   U.S. Pat. No. 8,497,636 to Nerone titled “Auto-Switching TRIAC        Compatibility Circuit with Auto-Leveling and Overvoltage        Protection,” filed Mar. 11, 2011; and    -   U.S. Patent Publication 2005/0128752 to Ewington titled        “Lighting Module,” filed Oct. 20, 2004.

As discussed above, the prior systems have three major parts: drivers,controllers, and sensors. These systems all have lighting fixtures thatdo not receive power from an electrical panel directly, but are fed fromthe central electronic controller through a device-specific driver. Thecontroller and device-specific drivers are necessary, and thecontroller's capacity governs the number of lighting fixtures to becontrolled by the sensors and switches.

These prior lighting control systems are dependent on the configurationon the controller. Therefore, the system must be installed andconfigured by electricians who are experienced and knowledgeable aboutthese new types of central controllers. The driver, as the interfacebetween the lighting fixture and the controller, must be compatible withthe lighting fixtures and follow the controller's protocol. As such, inorder to successfully implement these lighting dimming systems, thecomponents must be very carefully selected, which requires a lot ofcoordination among electrical designers, control system vendors, lightfixture vendors, and electricians during the construction of thebuilding.

Thus, there is a need to provide a simple, automatic lighting controlsystem that can be installed and serviced easily by traditionallytrained electricians.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventive subject matter provides apparatus, systems and methods forautomatically controlling an external appliance via a mechanicalcontroller. In some embodiments, the external appliance can becontrolled directly by the mechanical controller. The mechanicalcontroller includes a lever that can adjust an operating state of theexternal appliance. Preferably, the external appliance has more than twooperating states, and at least three operating states, among which thelever can be used to adjust. Even more preferably, the lever can be usedto adjust the operating state of the external device along a continuousspectrum (e.g., non-discrete states).

In some embodiments, the system is communicatively coupled with one ormore sensors for collecting ambient environmental data of an area. Thesystem includes a first circuitry that is communicatively coupled withthe one or more sensors, and is configured to generate a motorcontrolling signal based in part on sensor data retrieved from the oneor more sensors. The system also includes a mechanical device that isconfigured to move the lever of the mechanical controller, for example,by physically moving the lever or a portion of the lever with which themechanical device is in contact.

The system also includes a second circuitry that is communicativelycoupled with the first circuitry and the mechanical device. The secondcircuitry is configured to cause the mechanical device to move the leveras a function of the signal received from the first circuitry to controlthe external device.

In some embodiments, the first circuitry includes a processing unit andan analog-to-digital converter. The analog-to-digital converter isconfigured to convert an analog signal received from the sensor to adigital signal and pass the digital signal to the processing unit. Insome embodiments, the second circuitry includes a motor controllercircuitry and a motor driver. In some of these embodiments, the motordriver includes a power amplifier used to amplify the digital signalfrom the motor controller circuitry to operate the mechanical device.

The system could use any suitable communication interface to transmitdata from the one or more sensors, for example, the system could alsoinclude an RJ45 interface for communication with the one or moresensors.

In some embodiments, the second circuitry is communicatively coupledwith the mechanical device via an RJ45 cable.

In some embodiments, the mechanically controller that controls theexternal device includes a mechanically controllable dimmer, such as aTriode for Alternating Current (TRIAC) device or a Thyristor.

In some embodiments, the mechanical device includes a track and arobotic fork that is movable along the track. The robotic fork can havea concavity designed to partially enclose and lock in the lever of themechanical controller so that the robotic fork can be used to move thelever, as the robotic fork moves along the track. Preferably, themechanical device is configured to move the robotic fork to at leastthree positions along the track, with each of the at least threepositions corresponding to a different operating state of the connectedappliance. Even more preferably, the mechanical device is configured tomove the robotic fork to any position along the continuous, non-discretepath of the track, with each position corresponding to a differentoperating state of the connected appliance.

In some embodiments, the first circuitry is further configured to selecta power level from at least three power levels based in part on thereading from the sensor, embed information related to the selected powerlevel in the motor controlling signal, and transmit the motorcontrolling signal to the second circuitry.

In addition, the second circuitry of some embodiments is furtherconfigured to cause the mechanical device to move the robotic fork toone of the at least three positions based on the motor controllingsignal.

In some embodiments, the external device can be a lighting device, afan, or any other controllable appliances. The sensor can include atleast one of a luminance sensor, an occupancy sensor, a temperaturesensor, and a humidity sensor.

Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventivesubject matter will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanyingdrawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example smart appliance system for automaticallycontrolling an external device via a mechanical controller.

FIG. 2 illustrates the schematic of an example controller module of someembodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates the schematic of an example robotic arm module ofsome embodiments.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate another embodiment of a dimming module.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a system for automaticallycontrolling an external device.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a dimming module of thesystem of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients,properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth,used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are tobe understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.”Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth inthe written description and attached claims are approximations that canvary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by aparticular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parametersshould be construed in light of the number of reported significantdigits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstandingthat the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scopeof some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numericalvalues set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely aspracticable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of theinvention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from thestandard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.

As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow,the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the descriptionherein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise.

As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term“coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which twoelements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirectcoupling (in which at least one additional element is located betweenthe two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with”are used synonymously.

Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth hereinshould be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints, andopen-ended ranges should be interpreted to include commerciallypractical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered asinclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates thecontrary.

The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve asa shorthand method of referring individually to each separate valuefalling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, eachindividual value is incorporated into the specification as if it wereindividually recited herein. All methods described herein can beperformed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein orotherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and allexamples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respectto certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminatethe invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of theinvention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should beconstrued as indicating any non-claimed element essential to thepractice of the invention.

Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the inventiondisclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each groupmember can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combinationwith other members of the group or other elements found herein. One ormore members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group forreasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion ordeletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the groupas modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markushgroups used in the appended claims.

It should be noted that any language directed to a computer systemshould be read to include any suitable combination of computing devices,including servers, interfaces, systems, databases, agents, peers,engines, controllers, or other types of computing devices operatingindividually or collectively. One should appreciate the computingdevices comprise a processor configured to execute software instructionsstored on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium(e.g., hard drive, solid state drive, RAM, flash, ROM, etc.). Thesoftware instructions preferably configure the computing device toprovide the roles, responsibilities, or other functionality as discussedbelow with respect to the disclosed apparatus. In especially preferredembodiments, the various servers, systems, databases, or interfacesexchange data using standardized protocols or algorithms, possibly basedon HTTP, HTTPS, AES, public-private key exchanges, web service APIs,known financial transaction protocols, or other electronic informationexchanging methods. Data exchanges preferably are conducted over apacket-switched network, the Internet, LAN, WAN, VPN, or other type ofpacket switched network. Computer software that is “programmed” withinstructions is developed, compiled, and saved to a computer-readablenon-transitory medium specifically to accomplish the tasks and functionsset forth by the disclosure when executed by a computer processor.

One should appreciate that the disclosed techniques provide manyadvantageous technical effects including providing a simple, universalsolution to create automatic controllable appliances such as lightingfixtures that has the automatic dimming capabilities and fans that hasthe automatic speed adjustment capabilities, based on external data.

The inventive subject matter provides apparatus, systems, and methods toautomatically control a setting of an appliance using a mechanicalcontroller. FIG. 1 illustrates an example smart appliance system 105 ofsome embodiments for automatically control a setting of one or moreexternal appliances, such as a lighting fixture 155, 160 or a fan 165.As shown, the smart appliance system 105 includes a controller module120 and one or more robotic arm modules (such as robotic arm modules125, 135, and 145). In some embodiments, the controller module 120includes a circuitry having at least one processing unit (e.g., aprocessor, a processing core, etc.) and memory (e.g., erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM), etc.). In some embodiments, thecontroller module 120 may simply include a memory (e.g., EPROM, etc.)and a circuitry that processes input signals and produces associatedoutput signals based on data stored on the memory.

Each of the robotic arm modules 125, 135, and 145 preferably includes amechanical device (e.g., a mechanical arm, a mechanical fork, etc.) thatis movable along a track, and a circuitry and actuator for controllingthe movement of the mechanical device. For example, the robotic armmodule 125 includes a mechanical fork 127, the robotic arm module 135includes a mechanical fork 137, and the robotic arm module 145 includesa mechanical fork 147. As mentioned above, an appliance in homes andoffices, such as a lighting fixture or a fan, can be controlled by amechanical controller, such as a mechanical switch or a TRIACcontroller. These mechanical controllers have a common characteristic inthat they all have a mechanical lever for adjusting a operating state ofthe appliance (e.g., on/off switch, dimming slider, etc.). Preferablythe appliance has more than two operating states (i.e., can beadjustable in more ways than just an on/off switch) and can beadjustable by the mechanical controller to any one of these operatingstates.

Preferably, the mechanical device (e.g., forks 127, 137, 147) of eachrobotic arm module (e.g., modules 125, 135, 145) is in contact with amechanical controller associated with an appliance, which the roboticarm module is designed to control. For example, each of the robotic armmodules 125, 135, and 145 can include a mechanical fork that has acavity to lock a lever of the mechanical controller 130, 140, 150,respectively. For example, the mechanical fork may have a cavity or arecess between two protruded sections that embrace at least a portion ofthe lever in order to move the lever. In other embodiments, themechanical fork may include gear teeth to move the lever. The recessbetween two teeth of the gear can hold a portion of the lever such thatmoving the gear would cause the lever to move.

As shown in this example, the robotic arm module 125 is configured tocontrol a lighting fixture 155 via a TRIAC controller 130, the roboticarm module 135 is configured to control another lighting fixture 160 viaa switch 140, and the robotic arm module 145 is configured to control afan 165 via a TRIAC controller 150. The TRIAC controller 140 has amechanical lever 132 that can be moved to adjust the luminance level ofthe lighting fixture 155. The switch 140 includes a mechanical lever 142that can be flipped to turns on and off the lighting fixture 160. TheTRIAC controller 150 includes a mechanical lever that can be moved toadjust the speed of the fan 165.

Thus, the robotic arm module 125 is configured to use its mechanicaldevice 127 (e.g., a mechanical fork) to move the mechanical lever 132 ofthe TRIAC controller 130 to control and/or adjust a luminance setting ofthe lighting fixture 155. Similarly, the robotic arm module 135 isconfigured to use its mechanical device 137 to move the lever 142 of theswitch 140 to turns the lighting fixture 160 on and off. The robotic armmodule 145 is configured to use its mechanical device 147 to move alever 152 of the TRIAC 150 to control and/or adjust a speed setting ofthe fan 165.

In some embodiments, the controller module 120 is communicativelycoupled with one or more sensors (e.g., sensors 170, 175, 180, 185) overa wired or wireless network. In some embodiments, the controller module120 can be communicatively coupled with each of the sensors 170, 175,180, 185 via RJ45 cables or other commercially suitable connection. Thesensors 170, 175, 180, 185 can be of different types and at differentlocations within a boundary (e.g., within a home, within an office,etc.). For example, the sensor 170 can be a luminance sensor thatdetects an ambiant luminance level and produces a signal (e.g., ananalog luminance reading, etc.), the sensor 175 can be an occupancysensor that detects movement within a geographical boundary (e.g.,within an office, within a room, etc.) and produce a reading based onthe detected movement, the sensor 180 can be a temperature sensor thatproduces a temperature reading based on the ambient temperature, and thesensor 185 can be a humidity sensor that produces a reading based on thedetected humidity. The controller module 120 is programmed toperiodically (e.g., every second, every five seconds, every minute,etc.) retrieve sensor data from the sensors 170, 175, 180, 185. Based onthe retrieved sensor data, the controller module 120 in some embodimentsis programmed to compute and generate a signal for each appliance thatit controls (e.g., the lighting fixture 155, the lighting fixture 160,and the fan 165, etc.). In some embodiments, the generated signalindicates an operating setting for that appliance.

Once the signal is generated, the controller module 120 is programmed totransmit the signal to the corresponding robotic arm module (e.g., overan RJ45 cable, etc.). For example, when the controller module 120 hasgenerated a signal for setting an operating setting for the lightingfixture 155, the controller module 120 is programmed to send the signalto the robotic arm module 125. Similarly, when the controller module 120has generated a signal for setting an operating setting for the lightingfixture 160, the controller module 120 is programmed to send the signalto the robotic arm module 135. When the controller module 120 hasgenerated a signal for setting an operating setting for the fan 165, thecontroller module 120 is programmed to send the signal to the roboticarm module 145.

When the corresponding robotic arm module receives the signal, thecircuitry within the robotic arm module is configured to cause themechanical device of the robotic arm module to move along the trackaccording to the instructions embedded in the received signal, and inturn moving the lever of the mechanical controller of the correspondingappliance. For example, when the sensor readings from sensors 170, 175,180, 185 indicate that the ambient light luminance level has passed acertain pre-determined threshold, the controller module 120 isprogrammed to send a signal to the robotic arm modules 125 and 135 todim the lighting fixtures 155 and 160 below a certain level. The roboticarm modules 125 and 135 in turn is configured to move the mechanicaldevices 127 and 137 according to the signal, which in turn moves thelevers 142 and 152 of the TRIAC controller 130 and the switch 140,respectively, to dim the lighting fixture 155 and switches off thelighting fixture 160.

In some embodiments, the controller module 120 is also communicativelycoupled with a user computing device 190 (e.g., over a network), suchthat a user such as an administrator can program/configure the smartappliance system 105 to control the appliances differently underdifferent sensed condition.

FIG. 2 illustrates the schematic of an example controller module 200that can be implemented in the smart appliance system 105. Thecontroller module 200 includes a processing unit 210, ananalog-to-digital circuit 215, a motor controller circuit 220, severalsensor interfaces 225 a-225 d, and several motor interfaces 230 a-230 c.The processing unit 210 of some embodiments may include a processor 235and memory 240.

The sensor interfaces 225 a-225 d can be any types of interfaces that iscapable of communication with an external sensor device. An example ofsuch an interface is an RJ45 interface (RJ45 connector) when the sensors(not shown) are connected with the controller module 200 via RJ45cables. In some embodiments, the processing unit 210 is programmed toretrieve sensor data from the sensors via the sensor interfaces 225a-225 d periodically (e.g., every second, every 5 seconds, etc.). Onceretrieved, in some embodiments the sensor data in its original analogformat would go through the analog-to-digital circuit 215. Theanalog-to-digital circuit 215 can be implemented as any type of existinganalog-to-digital converter, an example of which is described in U.S.Pat. No. 7,498,962 to Alfano et al. titled “Analog-to-Digital Converterwith Low Power Track-and-Hold Mode,” filed Dec. 29, 2006. Theanalog-to-digital circuit 215 is configured to convert the sensor datafrom its original analog format to a digital format, and passes thesensor data in digital format to the processing unit 210.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 210 includes a processor or aprocessing core, and a non-volatile memory (e.g., a flash memory, etc.).An example of such a processing unit 210 is an erasable programmableread-only memory (EPROM). The motor controller circuit 220 is configuredto generate a signal that is understandable by the intended robotic armmodule via the corresponding motor interface. In some embodiments, theprocessing unit 210 can be pre-programmed with instructions for how toadjust a setting of an appliance under a certain condition detected bythe sensors. For example, the processing unit 210 can be pre-programmedsuch that it corresponds the motor interface 230 a with the robotic armmodule 125 for controlling the lighting fixture 155, corresponds themotor interface 230 b with the robotic arm module 135 for controllingthe lighting fixture 160, and corresponds the motor interface 230 c withthe robotic arm module 145 for controlling the fan 165. The processingunit 210 can then be pre-programmed to instruct the motor controllercircuit 220 to send a signal to the robotic arm module 125 via the motorinterface 230 a to dim the lighting fixture 155 when it is detected thatthe ambient light is above a certain predetermined level, to instructthe motor controller circuit 220 to send a signal to the robotic armmodule 135 via the motor interface 230 b to turn off the lightingfixture 160 when it is detected that no one is occupying the room, andto instruct the motor controller circuit 220 to send a signal to therobotic arm module 145 via the motor interface 230 c to reduce the speedof the fan when the ambient temperature has fallen below a certainpredetermined threshold.

In some of these embodiments, the processing unit 210 of the controllermodule 200 is also programmed to provide a user interface (e.g., agraphical user interface that can be displayed on a screen of acomputing device) to enable the user to program the controller module200 to operate differently under different sensed condition. The userinput can be stored in the memory 240 that can later be retrieved by theprocessor 235 to generate the signals based on the sensor data.

As the processing unit 210 continues to receive updated sensor data viathe sensor interfaces 225 a-225 d that has been converted by theanalog-to-digital circuit 215, the processing unit is programmed to sendnew instructions to the motor controller circuit 220 to send updatedsignals to the various robotic arm modules 125, 135, and 145.

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic of an exemplary robotic arm module 300that can be used to implement any one of the robotic arm modules 125,135, and 145. The robotic arm module 300 is designed to control anappliance 335 (e.g., a lighting fixture, a fan, etc.) via a mechanicalcontroller 325. The mechanical controller 325 can be a TRIAC controller,a switch, or any kind of appliance controlling devices that includes alever for adjusting an operating state of the appliance.

The robotic arm module 300 includes a motor driver 310, a motor 315, anda mechanical device 320. In some embodiments, the motor driver 310 isoptional. The motor driver 310 of some embodiments includes a poweramplifier 340 to amplify the signal from the controller module 120 todrive the motor 315. The mechanical device 320 can include a mechanicalfork that is movable along a track (not shown). The track and themechanical fork can be designed to accommodate the design of themechanical controller 325. For example, if the mechanical controller 325is a TRIAC controller with a lever 330 that can be moved along a lineartrack to adjust a power setting (e.g., luminance level, speed level,etc.) of the corresponding appliance 335, the motor 315 can include alinear track and a mechanical fork 320 that has a cavity sufficientlylarge to partially enclose the lever 330 to move the lever 330. Themotor 315 of some embodiments is configured to move the mechanical fork320 along the linear track of the motor 315 so that the motor 315 cancause the lever 330 to move along the linear track of the TRIACcontroller 325.

In another example, if the mechanical controller 325 is a simple switchthat can be flipped up and down to change the operating state of theappliance 335, the motor 315 can include a concave track and amechanical fork 320 that has a cavity sufficiently large to partiallyenclose the lever 300 to move the lever 330. The motor 315 of someembodiments is configured to move the mechanical fork 320 along theconcave track of the motor 315 so that the motor 315 can cause the lever330 to flip and thereby change the different operating states of theappliance 335.

In the last example, the mechanical controller 325 can be a valve. Themotor 315 of some embodiments is configured to adjust the valve suchthat the flow path can be altered to achieve energy saving purpose.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate another embodiment of a dimming module 400. Asshown, an outwardly-facing side (shown in FIG. 4A) can resemble atraditional dimmer switch having a slider 405. This side is the one thatwould be facing away from the structure where it is installed and into aliving or office space, for example.

FIG. 4B illustrates a reverse (opposing and inwardly facing) side of thedimming module 400. As shown, the module 400 is designed to control anappliance 455 (e.g., a lighting fixture, a fan, etc.) via a mechanicalcontroller 425. The mechanical controller 425 can be a TRIAC controller,a switch, or any kind of appliance controlling devices that includes alever 430 for adjusting an operating state of the appliance 455. Thus,for example, as shown, the operating state of the appliance 455 can bechanged as the lever 430 is moved along track 435 of the mechanicalcontroller 425.

A robotic arm module 410 can include a motor driver, a motor, and amechanical device 420. In some embodiments, the motor driver isoptional. In other embodiments, the motor driver includes a poweramplifier to amplify the signal from a controller module to drive themotor. The mechanical device 420 can comprise a mechanical fork that ismovable along a track. The track and the mechanical device 420 can bedesigned to accommodate the design of the mechanical controller 425. Forexample, if the mechanical controller 425 is a TRIAC controller with alever 430 that can be moved along a linear track 435 to adjust a powersetting (e.g., luminance level, speed level, etc.) of the correspondingappliance 455, the motor can include a linear track and a mechanicalfork 420 that has a cavity sufficiently large to partially enclose andmove the lever 430 as the mechanical fork 420 moves along a track of themotor.

As shown, the module 400 can include an input connection 445 configuredto receive a wire to communicatively couple the module 400 with acontroller 440 for example. In some embodiments, the coupling couldcomprise a RJ45 cable, although any commercially suitable wiredconnection is contemplated. Wireless connections are also contemplatedthough less preferred.

It is further contemplated that the slider 405 could be non-functional,or have its functionality configured to be turned on or off such as by aswitch. When non-functional, it is contemplated that movement of theslider 405 will not cause any movement of the lever 430 to therebycontrol appliance 455. In other embodiments, it is contemplated thatmovement of the slider 405 could send a signal to controller 440 forexample, which then could send a control signal to the module 400 tochange an operating state of the appliance 455 (e.g., dim the light).

In other contemplated embodiments, another embodiment of a smartappliance system 500 is shown in FIG. 5 for automatically controlling asetting of an external appliance, such as a light source, lightingfixture or fan. Contrary to the systems discussed above, system 500eliminates the need for a physical switch and a dimming module withmotor to move the switch, thereby reducing the mechanical components ofthe system.

System 500 can include a first circuitry that is communicatively coupledwith one or more sensors 570, 575, 580, 585. System 500 can also includeincludes a controller module 520 communicatively coupled with the one ormore dimming modules (such as modules 525, 535, and 545).

The system 500, and preferably the controller module 520, can beconfigured to generate a pulse wide modulation (PWM) signal, which canbe transmitted to one or more of the dimming modules 525, 535, 545. Itis preferred that system 500 also includes a second circuitry, whichreceives the PWM signal from the first circuitry. Through an opticalcoupling electrical device, this PWM signal works with the synchronizedsignal from an on-board micro controller of the dimming module to turnon or off an A/C semiconductor switch, for example. In this manner, theillumination level of the lights can be controlled accordingly.

Each of the dimming modules 525, 535, and 545 can include a microcontroller unit (MCU), an example of which is shown in FIG. 6. When thecorresponding dimming module receives the PWM signal from the controllermodule 520, through an optical coupling electrical device, the PWMsignal works with a synchronized signal from the on-board controller togenerate an output PWM signal to its driving circuit for controlling thepower level of the connected light or appliance. Thus, the power levelcan be controlled based on the PWM signal received from the controllermodule 520. The illumination level of the lights could be continuouslyadjusted to any level between its maximum and minimum.

One should appreciate that the system 500 can control any lightingfixtures that has the automatic dimming capabilities and fans that hasthe automatic speed adjustment capabilities. There is no strictrequirement on lighting fixtures selection as long as the lightingsources are dimmable.

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic of an exemplary dimming module 600. Thedimming module 600 includes a synchronized circuit 610, a microcontroller unit (MCU) 615, and a driving circuit 625. The MCU 615receives a PWM signal from the main controller 620 and a digital signalfrom the synchronized circuit 610, to generate an output PWM signalaccordingly through an optical coupling electrical device. The outputPWM signal is then sent to the driving circuit 625 to thereby adjust thelight brightness of an appliance 635 to any appropriate level. Thedigital signal from circuit 610 can comprise feedback from the drivingcircuit, such as to indicate a current power output to, or operatingstate of, the appliance 635. Using this information, the MCU 615 canproduce the output PWM signal based on the input signal received fromthe controller 620 to change an operating state of the appliance 635.

As discussed above, the dimming module 600 is designed to control theappliance 635, which could be a lighting fixture, a fan, etc., viadriving circuit 625. The driving circuit 625 can be an A/C semiconductorswitch, a TRIAC controller, or any kind of appliance controlling devicesthat continuously adjusts an operating state of the appliance.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many moremodifications besides those already described are possible withoutdeparting from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subjectmatter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of theappended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification andthe claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possiblemanner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises”and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements,components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that thereferenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized,or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are notexpressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at leastone of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . andN, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from thegroup, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for automatically controlling analternating current to an external device using a digital controllerbased on readings from one or more sensors, the system comprising: acontroller module communicatively coupled with a sensor, and configuredto generate a first pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal based in part ona reading from the sensor; a synchronized circuit configured to receivean input signal, process the input signal, and transmit a synchronizedoutput signal; a micro controller unit (MCU) communicatively coupledwith the controller module and the synchronized circuit via separatecommunication pathways, and configured to receive the first PWM signalfrom the controller module and the synchronized output signal from thesynchronized circuit and generate an initial control signal as afunction of both the first PWM signal and the synchronized outputsignal, the controller module, the synchronized circuit, and the MCUbeing configured and arranged such that PWM signal is received by theMCU separate from the synchronized output signal; and a driving circuitcommunicatively coupled with the MCU and configured to receive theinitial control signal and generate a final control signal that controlsthe alternating current provided to a triode alternating current switch(TRIAC) associated with the external device, wherein the driving circuitis configured to generate the final control signal as a function of theinitial control signal, and wherein the final control signal controlswhen the TRIAC is turned on and off to thereby control an illuminationlevel of the external device.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the MCUis configured to receive the first PWM signal from the controller modulevia an optical coupling electrical device.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the external device is one of a commercial lighting device and aresidential lighting device.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein thesensor comprises at least one of a luminance sensor, an occupancysensor, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor.
 5. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising an RJ45 interface for communication with thesensor.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the external device is alighting device, and the final control signal controls a brightness ofthe lighting device.
 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a userinterface that enables a user to configure how the MCU causes thedriving circuit to control the device as a function of the first PWMsignal.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface enables theuser to configure how rapidly the external device dims.
 9. The system ofclaim 7, wherein the user interface enables the user to configure aminimum and maximum luminosity of the external device.
 10. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the controller module comprises: a processing unit; andan analog-to-digital converter configured to convert an analog signalreceived from the sensor to a digital signal.
 11. The system of claim 1,wherein the controller module is further configured to: select a powerlevel from at least three power levels based in part on the reading fromthe sensor; embed information related to the selected power level in thefirst PWM signal; and transmit the first PWM signal to the MCU.
 12. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the synchronized circuit, MCU, and drivingcircuit are incorporated into a dimming module that is separate from,but in communication with, the controller module.
 13. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising a dimmer switch including the dimmer module,a lever, and a track, the lever being moveable along the track.
 14. Acontrol system for an electrical device, the control system comprising:a sensor configured to generate sensor data associated with a sensedcondition of an ambient environment; a controller module incommunication with the sensor to receive the sensor data therefrom, thecontroller module being configured to generate a pulse-width modulation(PWM) signal based on the received sensor data; and a dimming moduleseparate from, but in communication with, the controller module, thedimming module comprising: a synchronized circuit configured to receivean input signal from source of alternating current, process the inputsignal, and transmit a synchronized output signal; a micro controllerunit (MCU) in communication with the controller module to receive thePWM signal therefrom and the synchronized circuit to receive thesynchronized output signal therefrom, the MCU being configured togenerate an initial control signal as a function of both the PWM signaland the synchronized output signal, the controller module, thesynchronized circuit, and the MCU being configured and arranged suchthat PWM signal is received by the MCU separate from the synchronizedoutput signal; and a driving circuit in communication with the MCU andconfigured to receive the initial control signal therefrom and generatea final control signal that controls the alternating current provided toan external device, wherein the dimming module is configured to generatethe final control signal as a function of the initial control signal.15. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor is a luminance sensor.16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a dimmer switch includingthe dimmer module, a lever, and a track, the lever being moveable alongthe track.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the final control signalis at least in part a function of a position of the lever relative tothe track.
 18. The system of claim 14, further comprising a userinterface in communication with the MCU, the user interface beingconfigured to enable a user to configure how the MCU causes the drivingcircuit to control the device as a function of the first PWM signal. 19.The system of claim 18, wherein the user interface enables the user toconfigure how rapidly the external device dims.